A few moments of the Imperator of the Skolian Imperialate
by ericrs75
Summary: This short story takes place during another short story called "Stained Glass Heart" written by Catherine Asaro. It is a very small part of Asaro's Saga of the Skolian Empire. Despite the number of books in the series, I find myself wanting more story. Naturally I own none of the characters.


_This short story takes place during another short story called _"Stained Glass Heart"_ written by Catherine Asaro. It is a very small part of Asaro's Saga of the Skolian Empire. Despite the number of books in the series, I find myself wanting more story. Naturally I own none of the characters._

A few moments of the Imperator of the Skolian Imperialate

Kurj Skolia, Imperator of Skolia sat in the Dyad Chair high above the War Room of the Orbiter space habitat and went through his varied duties of the hour. Jacked into the web he was managing the logistics of a fleet re-deployment along the Trader border, arranging the payments of some of his spies, and working on a short speech for a graduating class at Jacobs Military Institute on the planet Forshires Hold. The deployment concerned him the most, there was evidence that the Traders might beef up their presence in a specific sector but long experience told him that more likely it was a feint to draw off forces from somewhere else they were going to hit. But he had ships on standby and several more due to be completed in the next few weeks, usually when he showed the enemy that Imperial Space Command was prepared to defend on multiple fronts Eubian Space Command or ESComm backed down and resumed the shadow war on a smaller scale.

He was about to take a brief respite when one of the nodes in his spine flagged a message that had come to him from the forces that guarded Lyshriol. It was not flagged as important but per his usual routines anything that came from where his mother lived was given to him immediately. He read the message and laughed so loud that several individuals on the floor of the War Room looked up in surprise. His half-brother Prince Havyrl Torcellei Valdoria had been betrothed to Brigadier General Devon Majda of the Pharaoh's Army, and instead of taking it quietly he had stolen away with his teenaged love, gotten married, and consummated the marriage all before his parents could catch up to him. Audacious and bold were the words that came to mind though it was hardly enough to describe his half-brother's actions; but he couldn't think of stronger more appropriate adjectives.

The reason Kurj had been contacted was that to give himself more time Havyrl had gone to the port first sabotaged a shuttle, disabled a whole host of sensor equipment and then stole a state-of-the-art shroud in order to get to the next town unnoticed by the ships in the Orbital Defense System that monitored the planet. A Colonel from the _Ascendant_ was on her way down to talk to his mother and her husband and she wanted to know if Kurj would insist on more punitive actions for the young man, on most worlds causing sabotage and stealing tech from ISC would carry a hefty fine, maybe even a prison term.

Kurj thought about it but could hardly find a reason to send the young man to prison, he was hardly likely to re-offend and he suspected whatever his mother would do to him would be enough. He thought it was a shame that Havyrl didn't want to become a military officer like his brother Althor, he was obviously brave enough and smart enough that he would make an excellent one. Their younger sister Soz, Kurj knew was a firebrand that would make her mark on the military like no one since himself. He wrote a message back to the _Ascendant _officer that Havyrl Valdoria would be expected to work at the port to fix what he had broken and when in their estimation he had worked off his debt they would let him off. He only wished he could have been there to see their faces during all this.

It was no surprise to him that the various Noble houses were already trying to arrange marriages for his half-siblings. When he'd been younger, they tried to negotiate with his mother to arrange things for Kurj and when he'd gotten older they'd sent the offers directly to him, but he had long ago decided he felt more need for a third arm then he did for a wife. The Assembly thought it was a shame that he (one of their most valuable Ruby princes) didn't want to marry and assist them in their intrigues. The discord between Majda and the Ruby Dynasty would soon fade, though he felt pity for young Havyrl, since he had no choice in the matter. He would like to send an email to the young man praising his courage but it would set the sort of precedent he tended to avoid. Smiling to himself he got a better idea, and pulled up the list of ships that were nearing completion in the docks and would need names soon. His mother knew him well enough that she might know what message he was sending but few others would. The biggest and most powerful was a Firestorm battle cruiser, a massive cylinder that was several kilometers long and half a kilometer wide with the bridge at one end and the thrusters at the other. Kurj tried to be more expressive when it came to naming his ships, he thought it inspired the crews aboard ships that had graceful names, although he himself didn't believe he had a poetic bone in his body. He wanted to praise his half-brother indirectly so he went in to the ship's registry and changed the name of the largest Firestorm battle cruiser to _Havyrl's Valor_. Smiling and satisfied that the message was sent he returned to his other tasks.


End file.
